Monday, September 26, 2011

Giant Octopus DIY!

This Octopus is from the original THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 1 (2008) Warning: It looks a lot harder than it is to make but it does take up a lot of room so be prepared. I have nieces and nephews galore and this particular octo-chair makes them very happy.

Have fun! xoxo, Mark

YOU’LL NEED:

Large beanbag chair in a color that's easy to match

Large trash bags

4 1/2 yards of 60” wide fabric that matches your beanbag

1/4 yard of black heavy cotton or felt

8 bags of stuffing for the arms

Sewing machine with z zigzag capability

Scissors

Straight pins

Seam ripper

Sewing needles and matching heavy-duty thread.

HERE’S HOW:

Just an FYI, I am in love with the Bernina 1008. It's an amazing machine.

1. Cut out two large ovals in your black fabric for the eyes and two smaller ovals for the inside of the eyes.
2. Zigzag the smaller ovals on to the larger ovals.

3. Take a good look at your beanbag and pin the eyes in place.

Also, figure out where the arms are going to be sewn on your beanbag.

BEANBAG 101: Most beanbags are sewn like a beach ball. With several seams all the way around to make the shape and often a circle on the bottom. I used the circle on the bottom to trap my tentacles. You could use a seam ripper and make an 8” hole in each seam to put in your octopus legs and trap the end of your arms in the seams as you sew up the holes. I trapped these in each seam and it worked well.

Unzip and empty your beanbag of all the stuffing in the trash bags and store in another place. You won’t need this until you’re done.

4. Zigzag stitch the eyes and mouth on the beanbag.

5. Cut eight 6ft x 15” strips of fabric for your arms.

6. Sew each one of these strips like a sock with one end open. Turn them right side out and stuff them.

Place the open end of the arm inside the slit and sew up from the inside.

7. Fill the beanbag with your stuffing and you’re golden.

Don’t forget to zip back up or your stuffing will be everywhere much to the happiness of the kids!

Make sure to check out THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2 for instructions and patterns for a huge snail and alligator! For pre-sale now on Amazon.com

About Me

Thank's for stopping by! Every day I strive to make the world a better place through creativity. I'm a Designer, TV Host and Best-Selling Author. I write THE BIG-ASS CRAFT BOOK series (Simon & Schuster) which are the best selling craft books in the US. I've worked in television for over 12 years on shows like While You Were Out-TLC, 10 YearsYounger-TLC, She's Moving In-WEtv, My Celebrity Home-Style, Tony Danza-ABC, My Home 2.0-FOX, and currently Make Your Mark! for PBS/APT. I am a Creative Consultant for DecoArt and a Creative Director for Eclectic Products, makers of E-6000. You can see me weekly on YouTube and can always reach me at MarkMontanoNYC@aol.com. I'd love to hear from you!